Eagles WR Quez Watkins Earns Pay Raise on Contract
Philadelphia Eagles receiver Quez Watkins has earned himself a nice pay raise heading into the final year of his rookie deal.
After making less than $1 million in each of his first three seasons, Watkins will now make around $2.785 million in 2023. The reason for the raise is due to the NFL's Proven Performance Escalator (PPE).
According to Over The Cap, the PPE is a salary escalator for players drafted outside the first round to earn some extra money, provided certain conditions are met.
There are also three separate tiers to the PPE. Players can reach the first tier by playing a certain percentage of their team's offensive/defensive snaps, 60 percent for Round 2 picks and 35 percent for Rounds 3-7, for two of their first three seasons, or averaging that percentage over all three years. Players that fall into this tier will have their salary raised to the amount of the Right of First Refusal RFA tender. Watkins, a 2020 sixth-round pick, meets both requirements, so he falls into this tier.
Players can reach the second tier by playing in 55 percent of their team's snaps in each of their first three seasons, and reach the third tier by earning a Pro Bowl selection in that time, not including substitutions. These tiers come with an even larger increase, although, as expected, far fewer players qualify for them. For reference, 32 players qualified for the first tier, 14 for the second and just three for the third.
Watkins is the only Eagle to qualify for the bonus this year, though others, such as guard Landon Dickerson and defensive tackle Milton Williams, are projected to qualify next year.
Watkins is entering a huge season in his career as he looks to assert himself as the Eagles' WR3 of the future. With the raise, he now has even more motivation to be at his best this season.
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